Decataur
Elves and centaurs dwell very closely to each other, often within the same forests, and it is not necessarily a surprise that romances develop every so often between open-minded individuals on both sides. Decataurs are both the children of such unions and the descendants of those children, a half-breed race that also runs in its own herds. Though less numerous than either of their parent races, decataurs have a society of their own, usually existing as part of elven nations or within centaur-controlled lands. Decataur are a true half-breed in many ways; they favor neither their elven side nor their centaur side. They are graceful and swift, while at the same time being dynamic and restless. Lacking the sheer size of centaurs or the overwhelming magecraft of elves, decataurs have had to develop their own schools of warfare and politics, which have been shaped by how little they fit into either society. Decataurs are their own people, whether they want to be or not. Appearance In many ways decataurs resemble smaller centaurs, with only slightly more height and overall mass than elves; indeed, they seem more like a cross between elves and ponies to the casual observer. Decataurs may have unusually colored skin (a side effect that sometimes happens when magic is used to aid in their conception or birth), slender horns, shaggy hooves, and ears that are larger and more sharply pointed than their elven kin. Like a horse’s ears, these tend to be expressive and will turn and flick in response to the decataur’s attention and mood. Long, flowing hair, as well as tails, are common in decataurs. Decataurs wear clothing in their day -to- day life, especially if they interact with humanoids on a regular basis, and tend to favor light armor or no armor in battle. Braiding their hair or tails is common, and many decataur soldiers or adventurers will braid trophies into their hair. Decataurs often get tattooed or branded, though some shy away from it because they don’t feel like dealing with jokes about who “owns” them (and, indeed, their centaur relatives frown on the practice for that very reason) Demeanor Decataurs give other races the impression that they are perpetually irritated, mostly because they are. They face mockery and condescension from centaur society for being “ponytaurs” and thoughtless stupidity from humanoidsocieties that can range from requests to haul heavy objects to parents asking if their children can ride the decataur. Part of the reason decataurs created their own culture was sheer exasperation at being talked down to constantly. As a result, decataurs enjoy both wit and sarcasm, and their laconic insults are a thing of legend in elf society, where it is said at times that swords are less painful than the scorn of their cousins. Their exasperation with the thoughtlessness of other races aside, decataurs combine the intellectualism of elves with the athleticism of centaurs; they are an active, involved people who take an interest in world affairs, especially since travel is a shorter affair for them than it is most other races. Decataurs are usually well-informed about their neighboring communities and have at least a grasp on global politics, and love discussing the events thereof. The things that interest them make decataurs light up, erasing the scowls from their faces and replacing them with excited smiles and animated hand gestures. Decataurs can get impatient with people who seemingly cannot or will not put the proper research or study into a topic before talking about it and turn their sharp tongues on those who won’t conform to the proper standards of academic discussion. Backgrounds Decataurs born and raised among their own kind have a different upbringing from those born of new centaur/elfunions, and tend to be more optimistic and friendly (though they learn sarcastic wit soon enough from their fellows; it doesn’t do to be slow of mind in any group of decataurs). If and when they leave their homes, the prejudices and thoughtlessness of humanoids tend to come as a surprise to them. Some try to change things, while others develop the bitterness of their fellows and move through the world with a chip on their shoulder. Those decataurs born of elf and centaur unions, on the other hand, learn about prejudice early on and take to wit as a way of insulating themselves from insults and derision. They tend to be more driven than their kin, needing to prove themselves to others, and are more likely to become adventurers or travelers simply to get away from home for awhile and come back after the bitterness has worn off. Most decataurs train to either war or magic early in their lives, since their physical forms make other professions difficult for them. They join other societies—centaur, elven, or even other humanoids—and contribute as warriors, messengers, scouts, support personnel and more. Decataur raised in these other societies are, generally speaking, similar to those born of elf and centaur unions. Adventures A surprisingly high amount of decataurs become adventurers or mercenaries for a portion of their youth, though a more normal amount stay with it as a permanent career. When they become adults, most decataurs feel a keen need for some physical and emotional distance from their homes, either to find their independence or to just get away from old, bitter memories. Either way, young decataurs “run away and join the army” quite a lot, returning home when they’ve matured some and have accomplishments to boast of—or in coffins. Those decataurs who remain adventurers do so because they’ve made close friends or they enjoy the thrill and freedom it introduces into their lives. Decataurs favor intellectual, tactical classes such as spellcasters, rangers, warders, and tacticians, and have a strong history of magus training, which their elven cousins continue to support them in. They rarely join, and have absolutely no respect for, classes like barbarian, fighter, or soulknife —they see these as being “thoughtless”, and beneath both their dignity and warfare in general. Decataur bards are somewhat uncommon but can be celebrated for their dark comedies and broad knowledge base. Decataur tend to act annoyed about humanoids in general, but aside from learning to hate drow and orcs from their elven cousins they tend not to judge based on race; after all, that’s the prejudice they face daily. Racial Traits * Ability Score Adjustments: +2 Strength, +2 Intelligence, -2 Constitution: A decataur is strong and intelligent, but their elven heritage shows in their lack of stamina and endurance. * Size: Medium: Decataur are medium creatures and thus have no bonuses or penalties for size. * Type: Monstrous Humanoid (elf): Decataur are monstrous humanoids with the elf subtype * Fast Speed: Decataur can move at an amazing pace. They have a base speed of 45 feet. * Hooves (Ex): Decataur possess two hoof attacks that deal 1d4 damage each * Careful Step (Ex): Decataur ignore movement and skill check penalties caused by difficult terrain (damaging terrain, such as lava, still harms them) * Nature Magic (Su): Decataur are finely tuned to the druidic and shamanistic ways of nature. they increase their caster level for all druid and ranger spells by 1. * Quadruped (Ex): Decatuar are quadrupeds. This increases their carrying capacity for their Strength by x1.5 and increases their CMD vs. trip maneuvers by 4. * Academic (Ex): Decataur value knowledge above most things. Choose 2 knowledge skills: these skills become class skills for you, and you enjoy a +2 racial bonus to checks made with them. * Low-light Vision: Decataur can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light. (Editor's Note: The (elf) subtype grants low-light vision. This trait was not mentioned in the original text.) * Darkvision (Ex): Decataur can see in the dark out to 60 feet. * Languages: Decataur begin play speaking Common and Elven. Decataur with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Dwarven, Giant, Gnoll, Gnome, or Sylvan Alternate Racial Traits Natural Charger (Ex): Some decataur gain the ability to surge across the battlefield while retaining their grace and sense, they suffer no penalties to armor class while charging and deal an extra 1d6 damage. This racial trait replaces hooves. Heavy Frame (Ex): Some decataur have broader frames. They possess a 30-ft. base land speed and ignore movement speed reduction caused by armor or encumbrance. This replaces fast speed. Satyrkin (Ex): Some decataur aren’t quadruped, instead resembling satyr. These decataur are even more nimble than usual, gaining a +4 racial bonus on Acrobatics checks. This replaces quadruped. Tactician’s Reflexes (Ex): Some decataur are quick to grasp any situation and respond accordingly, these decataur lack the agility of hoof. They add their Intelligence modifier to their Initiative modifier in addition to their Dexterity modifier. This replaces careful step. Favored Class Options * Cavalier: Add +1/4 to the cavalier’s tactician daily uses. * Fighter: Increase the modifier from armor training by +1/6. * Magus: Add +1/4 to the magus’ arcane pool. * Ranger: The ranger gains +1/5 of a new combat style feat. * Tactician: Add +1/4 to the tactician’s strategy daily uses. * Warder: +1/3 additional use of armiger’s mark. * Warlord: +1/3 extra maneuver recovered when running a gambit. * Zealot: Add +1/4 to the zealot’s conviction pool. Category:Source: Bloodforge